Plums in the Icebox
by Miss Evil Muffins
Summary: Plums are a different color on the inside. Komamiki


Plums in the Icebox

"Wha-what?" Komaeda's staring across the table was beginning to make Tsumiki feel even more uncomfortable than she usually found herself at a given moment.

"Your hair…" he began.

"My…hair…?" Tsumiki reached up to feather through her bangs. "I know… I know it's hideous! I'm so sorry you had to see me today. I should have just stayed in my cabin. I don't know what I was thinking, sullying everyone's sight by showing myself…"

For the first time since the students found themselves on this island, it had begun to rain. Just a drizzle, but it had caused many of the students to not leave their cabins as early as usual this morning. Hinata and Nanami sat chatting together, while Gundam sat stoically feeding his hamsters as Sonia cooed over them. No one else had shown up yet.

"What? No, it's not hideous at all. The color is so nice, it reminds me of plums. You know, when you cut open a plum, how it's a completely different color on the inside? I was thinking how maybe you're like that. You know, different on the inside?"

"I-inside? You want to cut me open? Waaaahhhh," Tsumiki began to cry.

"What the hell, Komaeda?" Hinata stomped over. "What did you do to her this time?"

"Do you want to play a video game, together, Tsumiki-san?" Nanami asked, leading the girl away by the hand.

Komaeda let out a sigh, as he now sat by himself for breakfast. It was difficult for him to understand what went wrong every time he tried to speak with his new friends. He never thought anything was wrong with his choice of words, but his friends always took things the wrong way. To him, it was as if they were all under a spell which caused his words to transmogrify when hitting their ears. The more he mulled it over, however, he realised that Tsumiki was just as apt to act this way with everyone. It bothered him, just as her incongruous haircut did. Without even asking, it was painfully obvious how her hair became that way. Clearly, someone had done it to her, whether they came at her with scissors or stuck gum in her hair. Someone had thought of her as trash and that just wasn't acceptable. She wasn't like him- she had such a wonderful talent. She wasn't as waste of space like he was. He thought that he would like to do something in order to make her feel better about herself.

Komaeda stood up and strode over to where Hinata, Nanami, and Tsumiki were seated together. Nanami was showing Tsumiki something on her PSP.

"Tsumiki-san, I would like to give you a haircut." The earnest expression on his face would have perhaps been more appropriate for a man proposing marriage rather than a trim.

"You? You're kidding." Hinata furrowed his brows as he gave a meaningful glance toward Komaeda's own choice in coiffure.

"Don't be silly, Hinata-kun. I used to groom my dog all the time when I was a kid."

Tsumiki piped in, "I-it's okay if Komaeda-san wants to cut my hair. I'm, um, happy that he wants to spend time with me."

"Fantastic! Come along, I'm sure there are scissors in the kitchen!"

"For God's sake, Komaeda! You can't cut hair in the kitchen. You'll get it in the food!" Hinata scolded.

"Okay, then. We'll do it outside. You need to wet hair in order to cut it anyway. Is that alright with you, Tsumiki-san?"

"W-whatever you think." Tsumiki fidgeted.

"Just don't cry to me when you two catch cold."

"Yes sir, Doctor Grumpy Pants. Besides, I'd be lucky to catch cold. Then I would be under the impeccable care of the lovely young nurse here." Komaeda smiled at the nurse.

Tsumiki beamed back. Komaeda had caught on quickly that complimenting her talent was a good way to set her more at ease.

"Come on, Hinata-kun's right," said Komaeda as the two went outside into the weather. "We can't use the kitchen scissors. That would be pretty gross. I, of course, deserve to eat hairy food, but the rest of you don't."

"I would if you wanted me to," Tsumiki offered helpfully.

"Well, I don't. What I do want is to find some scissors…"

A yellow-jumpsuited figure appeared out of the gloom. Komaeda had a brief flash come to mind of a character from a TV show he used to watch as a toddler, the one with the puppets who taught about letters.

"Souda-kun! Would by chance happen to have some scissors on you?" Komaeda asked jovially.

The magenta-haired boy's expression soured at the sound of Komaeda's voice. "I'm not going to help you murder Tsumiki."

"If I was going to murder someone, I wouldn't make it so obvious." Komaeda's tone remained cheerful.

"Yeah, well who knows what your whacked out plan is."

"K-Komaeda-san is just going to cut my hair! He wants to help me. He's really, um, not such a bad guy, so…" Tsumiki quickly ran out of steam.

"Well, alright… but just watch yourself," Souda advised Tsumiki as he stormed off to meet the others for breakfast.

Instead of heading toward the cabins, Komaeda led Tsumiki along the shore.

"Um, Komaeda-san?" Tsumiki fretted.

He turned to her and grinned like the Cheshire Cat. "My luck, remember?" he offered by way of explanation for the detour.

_Maybe he was more like the White Rabbit than the Cheshire Cat_, Tsumiki mused to herself. The boy with white hair, leading her in the mist like in a story. The island might as well be Wonderland for all its ties to the outside world. She was glad to have fallen into this rabbit hole, so glad. Everyone was so kind to her here, no wicked queen to chop off her head. She could even become the queen, if she so chose. Chop off Alice's head…

"Tsumiki-san? Are you okay? You didn't catch cold this quickly, did you? I have terrible ideas sometimes, don't I?"

"What? No, I'm okay. I'm just so happy that someone wants to help me, that's all. You can feel free to give me any style you think would be funny. Like a mohawk or a bowl cut…"

"Aha! Here we go!" Komaeda reached his hand into the surf and pulled out a rusted pair of scissors that had washed up, turning around to triumphantly brandish them in front of Tsumiki.

"Um, Komaeda-san… I'm pretty sure that if you were to nick me with that, I'd get tetanus. .."

Komaeda leaned in close, caressing her damp cheek with the oxidized twin blades. "My luck, remember?" he grinned innocently as he drew back. "If you do get tetanus, it'll be for a good reason. You'll probably be sent to a hospital off the island and fall madly in love with a handsome doctor."

"Um, Komaeda-san, how would that be 'good luck 'for you?"

"Hmm, you're right. That would probably be the 'bad luck' part of talent, wouldn't it? I wouldn't like it at all if I couldn't see you anymore."

"T-that won't happen anyway…"

"Oh? Why's that?"

"There's already someone that I like…"

"I'm glad for you," Komaeda said sincerely. "I hope they're as kind and talented as you, Tsumiki-san . Now then, shall we get started?"

"H-here? Now? We don't have a comb…"

"Why not? You said that outside was okay. Now sit down. We're both already soggy, it shouldn't make a difference."

Tsumiki complied, folding her legs underneath herself in the sodden sand. She felt it caking onto her bandages and skirt, as the cold waves kissed her thighs like ghosts.

Komaeda meandered his way around behind her, looking down and kicking at mounds of sand as he went, until finally he knelt behind her.

"We don't need a comb," he said soothingly, as he began to run his fingers through her long, plum hair. Such a delicious color.

"What are you doing?" Tsumiki felt the ends being tugged.

"Tasting," Komaeda answered as he let go the strands he had brought to his lips.

"How was it?"

"Terrible. I have good news for you: You aren't made of plums after all."

Tsumiki began to giggle. "You're so silly, Komaeda-san."

"Am I?" he asked mildly as he resumed combing her hair with his fingers, slowly working upwards until he reached her scalp.

"Does that feel okay?" he questioned as he massaged her head.

"You're increasing blood flow to the head, it can help the patient relax and soothe headaches…"

Komaeda stopped and put his hands down. "I'm asking how you feel, not some theoretical patient."

"It…feels very nice. I can't remember anyone touching my head who wasn't hitting me before now."

Komaeda give her a little pat, like one would a puppy as he stood up and walked around front of the girl, wielding the scissors once again.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked.

"Y-yes, whatever you'd like to do is fine."

"Tsumiki-san, don't think about me; I'm doing this for you. I thought you might be happier if you could feel better about yourself. Tell me, do you want me to fix your hair?"

Tsumiki's bangs had been cut that particular way by a girl at school about a year ago. Once it had begun to grow out, Tsumiki stood in front of the bathroom mirror and trimmed it herself so it would retain its chopped-up appearance. She saw the way people looked at her, raising an eyebrow at her unkempt hairstyle. At least they looked at her. They spared more than a passing glance now. What did the reason matter?

"…No." Tsumiki looked down to the small fry squirming in the surf, nipping each other's tails. She couldn't say if they were playing or attempting to eat one another.

The white-haired boy let the scissors fall from his fingers with a plop into the shallow water, as he turned to walk away without a word.

A slender, bandaged hand grasped at his pant leg.

"Yes," came a small voice, almost tossed away by the suddenly increasing squall.

The dull scissors pulled harshly at her bangs, but she refused to tell the boy how it hurt. The deep-purple trimmings washed out to sea.

When he finished, she ask him how it looked.

"The same as before," he responded. "Absolutely lovely. Nothing I do could ever be worthwhile, so it must be you making it look so nice. Please cheer up Tsumiki-san. You deserve to be happy. Make your own choices, and everyone will come to understand that you're pretty outside _and_ inside."

Komaeda pulled the girl into his arms as the rain continued to embrace them.

"Thank you."

_The end_

* * *

_Notes:_

The title is taken from the poem _This Is Just To Say_ by William Carlos Williams and is, of course, in reference to Tsumiki's hair color. I'll leave it up to you if Komaeda is the person Tsumiki likes or not ;)

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for more Komamiki and mostly likely something for another rare ship from the first DR game!


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